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Website Basic Layout
Organizing your website into a logical structure
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Basic website layout and structureYour basic website structure should follow a logical pattern of organization. Doing this makes it easy for visitors to search for the information they are seeking and for search engines to index your website. Also, the basic layout of a website that is logically organized will be much easier to maintain and edit.Unless your website's basic layout is designed with an arrangement that is both logical and intuitive your future editorial efforts will be hampered by a lack of order. By approaching the design of your website's basic layout in a structured manner you will more effectively promote your message and facilitate user interaction. Also, webcrawlers look favorably upon this type of data arrangement when they index your site.
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The basic structure and layout of a websiteIf you have followed the designing a website tutorial up to this point the layout of your website outline should look something like the diagram below. The website basic divisions shown below reflect the linking network most used by webmasters.
Typical basic layout of a website
As you can see the basic website layout shown above follows a logical progression of content. The expansion of the subject matter that makes up the website is increased, by a network of links, as one delves deeper into the site. Through an ordered system of navigation the visitor can easily drill down into the substance and core of your website and its key material. This sequence of substance development proceeds as follow;HomepageIt all begins with the homepage which contains limited content and links. Here is where introductory information is presented, to your visitor, and the theme of the website is introduced. Be concise on this first page. Present it's content briefly, coherently and to the point. Limit homepage links to the main sections of your website.Main sectionsThe main sections of a website basic layout are where the subject matter is categorized into blocks of introductory or elementary material. Here the primary subject areas of your website content are introduced. From these main sections links to expanded content or the website subsections are provided.SubsectionsA website's main database resides in it's subsections. The subsections form the bulk of a site's content. Here is where the supporting material for your main sections are stored for retrieval. Detailed information is contained in the subsections and is available, to your visitors, from the main sections of your website.
Types and structures of websitesThe webmaster is free to arrange his website according to the basic website layout, shown above, or combine it's content into something new. The key is to develop a website layout that is well organized and logical. This will provide for easy website navigation and website maintenance.Also, search engines are sensitive to website organization and patterns of layout. When your site is crawled by a search engine spider it is looking for logical trains of thought. Based on what it finds your website content will be judged for its quality. Therefore, a well organized website structure is paramount to the success of your website in the eyes of the search engines and your ranking. Well designed file structures will always rank higher than poorly thought out ones.
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